N.E.A. ENDORSES CABINET LEVEL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On February 23, 1926, the National Education Association* unanimously endorsed the Curtis-Reed bill creating a cabinet level Department of Education.
The endorsement was greeted by "thunderous applause" from the NEA delegates meeting here in the Nation's Capital.
The delegates, according to The Evening Star, were wearing "orange garland leis of Hawaii around their necks."
Hearings will be held this week "by the congressional committees considering the bill."
JFK+50 NOTE
The Department of Education originated in 1980 with the support of President Jimmy Carter. In March 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order aiming to close the Department of Education "to the maximum extent possible under the law."
*National Education Association (founded in 1857 as the National Teachers Association) today is the largest labor union in the USA. NEA represents public school teachers & support personnel.
SOURCE
"N.E.A. Backs Bill For Education Department In Cabinet," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., February 23, 1926, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
